BC Mixed System

So upon picking up my copy of the National Post this morning, a headline on the front page of the paper caught my immediate attention: BC EYES MIXED HEALTH CARE. Apparently major health reforms are coming soon in the province, including an examination of the European mixed system.

Those that know me will know that I have advocated for the French System for some time. It is basically a two-tier system. The World Health Organization has given it top marks, referrals are not necessary to see a specialist and wait times are virtually nil. The sad part is, as soon as people in Canada hear two-tier, they start running scared rather than waiting to see what the benefits of such a system might bring over our current mess (thanks Tommy :)).

The throne speech from BC stated as much: "why are we so afraid to look at mixed health care delivery models, when other states in Europe and around the world have used them to produce better results for patients at a lower cost to taxpayers? Why are we so quick to condemn any consideration of other systems as a slippery slope to an American-style system that none of us want?"

Good on you Gordon Campbell. I couldn't have said it better myself. However, to answer your question, it's because we have been cultured to believe that our health care system is a sacred element of our being as Canadians, that Tommy Douglas was some sort of saint, and that our system is the best in the world. If our system is so perfect, why is fixing it such a huge priority of any government, federal or provincial??? Hopefully BC can be a national leader on this issue and show the rest of the country that a better system does indeed exist and that it can exist in Canada as well.

Saskatchewan Party Convention

The Saskatchewan Party held its most-attended convention to date last weekend in Saskatoon. Although I have been an ardent supporter for years, this was the first convention that I attended, as I had been living in Halifax since 2001. It was not only the first Saskatchewan Party convention that I had attended, but the first political convention that I had ever attended. And, I must report, that I think I am hooked; I am looking forward to the opportunity to attend more conventions in the future.

The weekend's focus was on election preparedness, as there should be a provincial election in Saskatchewan in either the spring or fall of 2007. Momentum for the Sask Party is high and I think that our position in the polls right now is due in large part to Brad Wall's leadership. He delivered a flawless address on Saturday, during which he offered a concluding chapter to the Tommy Douglas fable Mouseland, calling for the return of cats to the running of government. Wall also received a resounding endorsement from the party, garnering a 97.4% vote of confidence.

I am excited and eager for a general election to be called in Saskatchewan; we are long overdue for a change of government in this province. This past weekend further ignated my excitement for this to occur. If the energy and enthusiasm among the delegates at the convention is any indication, the party stands in good stead to knock off Lorne Calvert's tired government the next time around.

First Post...

I've been talking about starting a blog for a few months now and decided that I might as well get around to doing so. I must admit, during the federal election I became addicted to reading numerous political blogs.